Call'd up by you to this High Court of Wit,
With non inventus we return the Writ.
No Latitat can force him to appear,

Whose failure and fuccefs caufe equal fear;
Whatever fees his clients here bestow,

He lofes double in the courts below.

Grave, folemn Doctors, whofe prescribing pen Has, in the trade of Death, kill'd many men, With vent'rous quill here tremblingly engage To flay Kings, Queens, and Heroes, on the ftage. The Great, if great men write, of fhame afraid, Come forth incog.-and Beaux, in masquerade. Some Demireps in wit, of doubtful fame, Tho' known to all the town, withhold their name.

Thus each by turns ungratefully refuse
To own the favours of their Lady Mufe;
Woo'd by the Court, the College, Bar, and Church,
Court, Bar, Church, College, leave her in the lurch.

'Tis your's to night the work alone to fcan:
Arraign the Bard, regardless of the Man!
If Dullness wave her Poppies o'er his play,
To Critick fury let it fall a prey;

But if his art the tears of Pity draws,,

Afk not his name-but crown him with applause.

EPILOGUE TO CLEMENTINA,

FRO

Spoken by Mrs. YATES.

ROM Otway's and immortal Shakespear's page,
Venice is grown familiar to our Stage.

Here the Rialto often has difplay'd

At once a Bridge, a Street, and Mart of Trade;
Here, Treason threat'ning to lay Venice flat,
Grave Candle-Snuffers oft in fenate fat.

To night in Venice we have plac'd our scene, Where I have been,-liv'd-died-as you have feen. Yet that my travels I may not difgrace,

Let me, fince now reviv'd-defcribe the place!
Nor would the Tour of Europe prove our shame,
Could every Macaroni do the fame.

The City's felf-a wonder, all agree-
Appears to fpring, like Venus, from the fea.
Founded on Piles it rifes from the strand,
Like Trifle plac'd upon a filver ftand:
While many a leffer ifle the profpect crowns,
Looking like fugar-plums, or floating towns.

Horfes

"Horfes and mules ne'er pace the narrow street, Where crowded walkers elbow all they meet: No carts and coaches o'er the pavement clatter; Ladies, priefts, lawyers, nobles, go by water: Light boats and Gondolas tranfport them all, Like one eternal party to Vauxhall,

Now hey for merriment!-hence grief and fear! The jolly Carnival leads in the year; Calls the young loves and pleasures to its aid; A three-months Jubilee and Masquerade!

With gaiety the throng'd piazza glows, Mountebanks, Jugglers, Boxers, Puppet-Shows: Mafk'd and difguis'd the ladies meet their sparks, While Venus hails the mummers of St. Mark's. There holy friars turn gallants, and there too, Nuns yield to all the frailties Flefh is heir to." There dear Ridottos conftantly delight,

And sweet Harmonic Meetings ev'ry night!

Once in each year the Doge afcends his barge, Fine as a London Mayor's, and thrice as large; Throws a huge ring of gold into the fea,

And cries, "Thus we, thy fovereign, marry thee;

"Oh

"Oh may'ft thou ne'er, like many a mortal spouse, "Prove full of ftorms, and faithlefs to thy vows!"

One word of Politicks-and then I've done
The state of Venice Nobles rule alone.
Thrice happy Britain, where, with equal hand,
Three well-pois'd States unite to rule the land!
Thus in the Theatre, as well as State,

Three ranks muft join to make us blefs'd and great.
Kings, Lords, and Commons, o'er the nation fitz
Pit, Box, and Gallery, rule the realms of wit.

PROLOGUE,

PROLOGUE

To the Comedy of A WIFE IN THE RIGHT.
Written by Mrs. GRIFFITH,
Spoken by Mrs. BULKLEY.
March, 1772.

BY your leave, Criticks |—'Tis a Female Play :

A Female Prologue may prepare the way.
Among the chronicles of modern fame

Who has not read of gentle Frances' name?
Henry and Frances! a fond loving pair,
Whose soft epiftles ftill amuse the fair.*

Some nights ago our couple, all alone,

A Fire fide tête-à tête-true Darby and Joan-
Frances, faid Henry, give up writing! Men,
And Men alone, fhould dare to wield the pen.
Your fex of late all decency confounds,

And breaks 'twixt us and them the modeft bounds.
Whether from paffion, love of pow'r or riches,
Women, we fee, all love to wear the breeches.
At fea fome madcaps enter volunteers,

Some in the army lift as grenadiers !

LETTERS BETWEEN MR. AND MRS. GRIFFITH, under the

names of HENRY and FRANCES.

Others,